Pocket knife



Nov. 2 2, 1932. B. w. READMAN POCKET KNIFE Filed April 20, 1929 Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERNARD WILLIAM READMAN', OF LILAC, NORTH BATTLEFORD, SASKATGHEWAN,l

CANADA POCKET :KNIFE Application led April 20,

This present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a pocket knife.

The primary object of the invention ref'z sides vin the provision of a pocket knife of improved and simplified construction and which is highly efficient in use. f

Another object lof the invention resides in the provision of a pocket knife which is of such improved form that it may be readily held and either blade released and extended from the handle by the same hand by which the knife is held, without danger of injury to the hand by the blade.

5'15 Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a pocket knife of the character stated which is of such improved construction and operation that either of the blades may be independently released and T extended from the handle or returned to normal position therein by the hand in which the knife is held and without the necessity of employing any other means to assist in the releasing of theblades, or the movement of "5.25 the same to either position or locking thereof in extended position or in normal position within the body.

A further object 'of the invention resides in the provision of a pocket knife of the char 'E30 acter stated in which the blades are slidable through an end of the knife handle and firmly held in either extended position or in normal position within the handle, by automatic locking means.

'35 The invention has for a still further object the provision of a pocket knife of the character stated in which the handle is of substarb tial and compact construction with the blades firmly held thereby without placing the han- 40 dle under unnecessary strain when the blades are extended and in use.

The invention has for a still further object the provision of a pocket knife of the character statedwhich is composed of the mini- Lt5 mum number of parts of simple and inexpensive construction and arrangement and may be readily operated to move the blades to their innermost or outermost position and permit the automatic locking of the blades in either of their extreme positions until 1929. Serial N0. 356,707.

again released for movement in the handle.

scription proceeds, my invention lresides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described', illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

T he invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawing forming a part of this disclosure, wherein like characters indicate vlike parts throughout the several views.

ln the drawing Figure l is an elevation of the knife with one of theblades locked in its extended position;

' Figure 2 is a plan of the knife as shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a transverse section showing one of the blades locked in its innermost position and the other blade released and partially extended;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, taken substantially on the planeof line lL-4 of Figure .3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is anI enlarged fragmentary detail section showing more clearly the automatic locking means provided for each blade; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one of the 90 locking plungers for the vknife blades.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, it is .to be noted that the pocket knife includes a body 11 which is of elongated form which includes side plates 12 and a parallel 95 central partition plate 13. The side plates 12 and central partition plate 18 are arranged in parallel relation and spaced by the bottom plates 14 positioned therebetween and having their rear ends l5 curved upwardly between 100 the curved rear ends of the plates 12 and 13 and extended slightly forwardly. rihe other end of the body is left open for the blades 16 to work through. The blades 16 have enlarged inner ends or heads 17 which slide freely in the pockets or channels formed between the side plates 12 and the partition plate 13. The side plates 12 and the partition plate 13 are connected at their upper forward corner portions by the parallel connecting plates 18 to finish this corner of the body 11 and also provide means under which the blades 16 may move when being extended or drawn back into the body 11. The body 11 is also provided with finishing cover plates 19 `secured by rivets 2O or other appropriate means on the outer face of the side plates 12 and end finishing caps 21 are likewise provided on the outerface of the side plates 12, at the ends thereof, to present finished and rounded ends for the body 11.

For the purpose of locking automatically the blades 16 in either their normal position within the body 11 or their fully extended position, each blade 16 has a finger 22 located on the upper edge of the enlarged inner end or head 17 thereof and pivotally mounted by one end between a pair of upstanding ears Y23 by means of a pivot pin 24 extended through said pair of ears 23 and through the small rear end of the finger 22. Each finger 22 is concave on its under-face and of elongated form with the forward end of the finger 22 enlargedV and pressed upwardly. A fulcrum pin 25 is extended transversely through this forward end of the finger22 and through the upper end of a pair of locking plungers 26 which depend and work in vertical slots 27 or pockets provided therefor in the opposite sides of the blade head 17. The lower portion 28 of each plunger 26 is increased in width to extend its outer side, for locking engagement in a notch 29 in the flange 30 projecting from one side of a side plate 12 or the partition plate 13 of the knife body 11, along the upper edge of said side plates 12 or partition plate 1.3. The notches 29 are provided near the opposite ends of the body 11 and open at their lower ends into the longitudinal side channels 31 in the sides of the side plates 12 and the partition plate 13, opposed to the upper portions of the blade heads 17. It is also to be noted that the longitudinal side channels 31 extend from the the leaf spring 32 presses against the under side of the finger 22.

It is apparent that the spring 32 will serve to automatically raise the plungers 26 suspended from the finger 22 into the notches 29 as the latter are approached, thus automatically locking the blade 16 in either its extended position or in its normal position within the body 11.

As ythe construction of the device has thus been described in detail, brief reference is now had to its use and modus operandi: l/Vhen the blades 16 are in their innermost position or normal position, within the body 11 and locked therein, the enlarged portion 28 of the plungers- 26 rest in the inner notches or rear notches 29 and the points of the blades 16 are well within the pockets or channels provided therefor and the blades 16 thus protected. When it is desired to Vextend one of the blades 16, the locking finger 22 therefor is pressed downwardly by the thumb or a finger ofthe hand employed to hold the pocket knife and the finger 22 moved forwardly to force the blade 16 out ofthe open end of the body 11. During this movement of the blade 16, the enlarged lower end 28 of the plungers 26 carried by the linger 22 being operated, will ride below the iianges 30 having the notchesi29 thereinl Y,To lock the blade 16 in its outermost-or extended position, it is simply necessary to release the finger 22 and permit the spring'32 beneath vthe same to raise the finger 22 and the plunglquirements of such a device but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of'my invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or lscope thereof, it is intended that allmatters' vcontained in the said accompanying specification and drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is y y 1. A pocket knife including a body provided with spaced side plates and a parallel partition plate therebetween; said side plates and said partition plate having opposed lon-' gitudinal flanges on their upper edges and longitudinal grooves in their opposed faces below said iianges with upwardly directed notches extended thro-ugh said flanges at the opposite ends of said grooves; means for spacing said side plates from said partition plate along the lower edges thereof; blades with vertical open pockets in the upper portions of the heads thereof; said blades being slidable longitudinally between said partition plate and said side plates and operable thourgh one end of said body; locking members carried on said blades and having enlarged lower ends working in the said pockets thereof; said locking members being automatically engageable in said notches to lock said blades in their eXtreme inner and outer positions; and covering and finishing members provided on the outer faces of said side plates.

2. A pocket knife including a body pro-- vided with a longitudinal partition plate and side plates spaced outwardly thereof in parallel relation; said partition plate and said side plates having longitudinal guide grooves in their opposed faces and opposed longitudinal flanges on their upper edges with upwardly directed locking notches extending therethrough and opening into opposite ends of said longitudinal guide grooves; blades slidably adjustable between said partition plate and said side plates and through one end of said body; said blades having pockets in the sides of the heads thereof; a locking finger pivoted on the head of each of said blades; a pair of locking plungers depending from and pivoted to each of said locking fingers and having enlarged lower ends working in said pockets in the respective blades; each of said locking plungers having its enlarged lower end riding in one of said guide grooves and adapted for engagement in said notches in the iianges of said partition plate and an opposite side plate when the blade carrying the plunger is in one of its eXtreme positions to lock said blade against movement in said body; means to resiliently retain said locking plungers in their uppermost positions; and covering and finishing members for said side plates.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature.

BERNARD WILLIAM READMAN. [L.s.] 

